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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Just a few ThoughtsThe day after Thanksgiving. It's "Black Friday". I could add Christmas, Halloween and Easter. All these special days, holidays or whatever you call it have become days of endless commerce. Today's news from various places in America weren't good news. In the heat of getting to the best deals somebody used pepper spray to fight off "competitors". Other places shooting in stores erupted and robbers stole what others had purchased of "good deals".

Is our society going nuts over "saving money" on deals? What are these deals anyway? Do we absolutely need the latest version of an I-phone but are not willing to pay the full price for it? Are we dependent of getting the advertised 42inch TV at $244.00 at "Worst Buy"? One gal being interviewed had camped out in front of the store since Wednesday evening to get into the door when the store would open on friday night at 12:00 midnight. What was she thinking??

What's going on folks? It sure looks like commerce has taken out our brains and hidden it somewhere in the pile-up of electronic products.

When I accompanied friends today, who were in need for a new laptop I saw frenzied people everywhere. It was almost impossible to make headway through the throng at Costcompany, and at Wailmart the masses had clogged up every direction in the electronic department with half-hour wait times at the till.

It sure isn't looking up for the days before and after Christmas or Easter either. When the major retailers are offering a limited supply of merchandise at what they call bargain prices, everybody seems to get the run. We must elbow ourselves to the front of the line in order to grab that product and fork over the dollars for it.

Do we ever think of the main reason why we in our part of the Christian World celebrate Christmas or Easter?This Sunday is the first of Advent. And if I remember that right there are three more Sundays of Advent to follow. It is a time where we prepare for the birth of Christ. It is a time where we should take opportunity to sit down and spend a few thoughts about our family, our neighbours and friends. We might as well decide to shut off that noisy TV for once, take a book and read, or play a game with the kids, or visit the old generation in the nursing home.

When I went to school, (yes I know, it's awfully long ago) our schools were still allowed to celebrate the time of advent with us students. I remember that on monday morning after Advent Sunday the main lights in the hallway were shut off and a teacher had lit another candle on a wreath of spruce hanging from the ceiling. When class started we sang a Christmas Choral before we went on with our studies. It was a sure way to educate us about Christmas, teach us values and make us feel well and at home. Those were my favorite days in school.

In those days commerce wasn't all that bad. We could buy chocolate candies from the beginning of december, but not in August or September. Easter bunnies were available a few weeks before Easter but not right after Christmas.

Well, this is just my opinion of course and everybody must decide for himself where and what his/her priorities shall be, but I'm just saying....

6 comments:

Well written! And we agree with you here, yes, we like a bargain but no bargain would entice us to go Black Friday shopping. Instead we drove into our little town of 1600 people here in Montana, hugged Santa and his wife who happen to be good friends, said hello to lots of friends and neighbors and stimulated the local economy a little. Enjoy your holidays and remember the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Peter, I love your post. We all need to be reminded why we are here and how much we need to celebrate the birth of our Savior. There were absolutely no bargains out there that could entice me to get out in that mess yesterday. We did go to Petsmart later in the day cause our Scooter needs special dog food. But there weren't very people around when we got there. Thank goodness.

Janna is friend's with Santa?!!..alert the kids!!..all kidding aside you are so right in the fact that life seems to be all about 'stuff'!!..getting the biggest and the best tv/cell phone/video game 'thinga ma boober'..and at this point in 'our'life it is all about conserving and not making any big purchases or even the little ones are made with some thought!!..have a great day..love the header shot by the way!!..into the fog!!